Here’s a look at three successful entrepreneurs and their small business growth hacks. Their advice, I must say, were pretty impressive. This growth advice can be used by any small businesses who wants to win online.

1. “Leverage content marketing.” – Neil Patel

If you’re knee deep in the online marketing then Neil Patel doesn’t need an introduction. Patel, a serial entrepreneur and co-founder of Kissmetrics and CrazyEgg, truly believes in the power of content marketing.

He suggests that entrepreneurs should leverage the power of content for business growth. In this exclusive video Patel explains: “Give away the best information out there. The information needs to be so good that your competitors won’t dare to copy you. Also, “you need to create unique business deals […] If you can strike up interesting deals with other businesses that already have a user base, you can quickly grow and expand your user base really fast.”

2. “Pay attention to customer preferences.” – Rocky Ma

“Your customers should feel valued to be associated with you,” according to Ma. For example, “Hair salon owners can do this by remembering the style choices of their frequent customers. Similarly, grocery store owners can leave an impact by being considerate of young parents’ children.”

Rocky Ma believes that small gestures go a long way in preserving business relationships. The best part is that he practices the same and sends handwritten “Thank You” letters to all of his global clients.

3. “Drive business with referrals.” – Jas Kaur

Jas Kaur is the co-founder of QuikConsult, an emerging online consultation platform where industry experts offer advice on chat and email. Kaur explains that while social media is used to generate online word of mouth and buzz around a brand, the same can be done offline by small businesses.

“For instance, if you run a pastry shop and come up with something new, give a discount coupon to shoppers [to promote this] new item. If it’s possible, give away some free samples. Think freemium model! On a personal note, I think referrals can make a bigger impact for small offline businesses in comparison to paid marketing if deployed correctly.”

This article has been edited.

Varun Sharma is the founder and Growth Manager of Upreports, a startup consultation and web services agency that helps businesses and entrepreneurs hit growth projections with free growth reports. He has vast experience in content planning, branding, growth hacking, and digital visibility. Connect with @varunforreal on Twitter.

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